ST Bende on Nordic gods and Norsk waffles

May 9, 2013
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by Joyce Lamb, USA TODAY

by Joyce Lamb, USA TODAY

In honor of Norway's Constitution Day (May 17), ST Bende, author of Elsker, offers a twist on some old myths. (And Norsk waffles? I want that. Extra syrup, please.)

ST: Some 200 years ago May 17, the Constitution of Norway was signed, and the country became an independent nation. Ever since, those of us of Nordic descent have marked the day with parades, games, and lots and lots of Norsk waffles.

While writing my upper YA/NA paranormal romance, Elsker, I dove headfirst into Scandinavian culture. In addition to consuming undignified amounts of Norsk waffles (a true anytime food), I read up on the Norse myths. From John Lindow's Norse Mythology to D'Aulaire's illustrated guide for children, I gobbled up every book in my library that touched on the mythology. I was looking for the perfect gods to show my heroine, Kristia Tostenson, that the world beyond her one-stoplight hometown is much bigger than she ever imagined. I fell head over heels for the legitimate gods borrowed from mythology, as well as the ones rooted firmly in my imagination. Three of my favorite characters from Elsker are:

Ull: We all know Thor - God of Thunder, aka He Who Wields the Ginormous Hammer, Mjölnir. But did you know he had a stepson? Thor, Sif - Goddess of Beauty - and her son Ull were the original blended family. Ull grew up to be an accomplished skier, an epic archer and the God of Winter. Who better to sweep a small-town human off her feet? In Elsker, Ull takes a vacation from Asgard and enrolls in graduate school in Cardiff University. He's stubborn, stoic and controlling. And he's ridiculously good-looking, if you're into the whole 6-foot-5 Norse Adonis thing.

Olaug: Ull's Asgardian grandmother is 100% imaginary, but her Norse roots run deep. She's got the wisdom of Idunn (Goddess of Life), the warmth of Frigga (Goddess of Marriage) and the purity of Balder (God of Peace). Plus, I named her after my fabulous Norwegian teacher, who is gentle, kind, adventurous, sassy and endlessly patient. She's waited the better part of a decade for me to say something more substantial than "takk for vaffel." But, seriously, Olaug, thanks for the waffles. They're so good.

Inga: Also fictional, Inga is my modern version of Freya, the Warrior Goddess of Love. When the Valkyries collected fallen human soldiers to fight for Asgard, they gave some to Odin and some to the warrior Freya. She was worshipped as a fertility goddess and solidified her rep as the ultimate cat lady by riding into battle on a chariot pulled by felines. Elsker's Inga eschews the cats, but she combines fierce fencing skills with otherworldly good looks to stun warriors into submission as fight choreographer for Odin's Army. Toss in her mad culinary skills and her unwavering loyalty to her best friend, Ull, and she's Asgard's unofficial Domestic Goddess.

By staying somewhat true to the stories of the gods, I hoped to give readers a fresh spin on the classic mythologies. And in dropping the world of Asgard onto a girl who's never ventured beyond her 300-person town, I wanted to show that there's more than one path to happily ever after. One thing's for certain - after meeting this crew, Kristia's life is never going to be the same.

Oh, and those Norsk waffles? I have it on good authority their recipe is on the last page of Elsker. Du er velkommen. Now get ready to buy some bigger pants.

Here's the blurb for Elsker:

You don't win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way.

Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn't exactly what she was expecting. He's an honest-to-goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. Kristia's crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.

Her orderly life just got very messy.

ST Bende lives the glamorous suburban life of a domestic goddess. Find out more about ST and her books at her blog or on Twitter (@stbende) and Goodreads. Takk!